Thill-coupling



(No Model.) A

D. KAVANAUGH.

THILL GOUPLING. No. 398,969. Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

' awe mm.

lhnrTnn STATES ATENT @rrrcn DANIEL KAYANAUGIEOF ORANGE, NElV JERSEY.

THiLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,969, dated March 5, 1889.

Application filed SeptemherZG, 1888. Serial No. ZSGAOS- (N0 model.)

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked there on, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to simplify 3 and facilitate the attaching of thills to the axles of carriages, to avoid the noise and rattlc resulting from the wear of the coupling i when constructed in the ordinary manner.

The invention consists in the improved thill-coupling and in the combinations and arrangements of parts thereof, substantially as will be hereinat'tersct forth, and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 a top plan view of a thill-coupling attached to an axle embodying my improvements. Fi 2 is a longitudinal section through line a, Fig. 1. Fig. 23 is a detail view of that portion of the clip to which the thill is socured.

In said drawings, (1 indicates a clip, of ordinary construction, for embracing theaxle of the carriage, and secured thereto in the usual manner, and is provided with cars I) 7), preferably made integral therewith.

is a thill-iron secured to the end of the thill, and is formed with an open slot, (Z, at one end.

The forked ends of the thill-iron are curved downward, as shown at c, Fig. 3, so as to nearly surround a bolt, g, passing through holes h in the ends of the clip.

i is a key formed of a metallic annular piece or ring, 1 through which the bolt 1,011 which it-turns, can be pushed, and it has a flattangential piece, i and is beveled on its end, as shown at '2', to it a corresponding bevel, c, in the slotted end of the piece c.

7c is a setscrew fitting ina threaded hole in said key 6, and is provided with a Hat oblong head, 7;, so that when turned in line with the bolt the edges or ends of the head will pro j ect over on the two prongs of the forked end of c and securely bind the key to said thilliron c and securely hold it in position on the bolt g.

In constructing my improved thillcoupling no change is required in the clip or bolt, as those of common construction can be used.

\Vhen the clip has been secured to the axle of the carriage in the ordinary way, the bolt is passed through the eyes and the key-piece, and the bolt is then tightly secured in its place by its screw-nut. The hooked ends of the thill-iron are then placed around the bolt, and the key is then brought over and down into its slot in the thill-iron, and the head of the set-screw is then turned around, so that the ends will rest upon the prongs ot' the thilliron. .All the parts are thus securely connected together, but free to turn on said bolt. To remove the thill, the head of the setscrew of the key is turned, so as to permit of its passage through the slot in the thill-iron. The key is then thrown upward and out of connection with the thill-iron, which can be quickly unhooked from the bolt, and thus dctachcd from the carriage. This SWll] g of time in the attaching of thills to or detaching them from the axles of carriages is of very great value and utility, especially in stables where it is desirable to quickly change the thills used for a single horse to a pole attachment for two horses, or vice versa.

I do not intend to limit myself to the particular form or shape of the curved or hooked thill-iron or the locking-key, or in the mode of locking the key to the thill-iron, as various modifications of the same might be made without changing the character or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an improved article of manufacture, the thill-couplin g herein described and shown, consisting of a clip with ears and bolt, a thilliron having a slotted hooked end, and a locking key pivotally secured at one end to the clipbolt and the other end fitting in said slot, said thill-iron and key ti'u'ning freely 011 said bolt, said. key being held in position thereon by a setscrew with elongated head, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, in a shill-coupling, of a clip, a, with ears b-Z) thereon, a thill-iron, 0, having hooked ends 6, and a locking-key pivotally connected to the clip-bolt at one end and securing the thill-iron to the said clip, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a thill-coupling,with a clip, a, with ears I) b thereon, and a bolt secured in said ears, of a loose ring, 1', on said 

